It's Your Turn
by Rosy-Fingered-Dawn
Summary: The Fowl family has enemies. It had never bothered Artemis before, but when one of them kidnaps Holly he has to once again save one of the people that matters most to him before it is too late.
1. Chapter 1

It's Your Turn

**A/N: Hello everybody! This is just some random story I've had in my head for some time. I decided to let the world see it, so please bear with me. This story takes place about six months or so after TTP. I always picture fairies as having the same height as humans, so that's what I had in mind while writing this story. I know that's not true to the books, and I'm so sorry if that annoys anyone, but I just didn't feel like dealing with the height issue.**

**Disclaimer: **

**Rosy (me): Honestly, do I even need this disclaimer? I am obviously not Eoin Colfer and I obviously do not own the series, so I obviously do not own the settings, characters, or any other material from the books.**

**Artemis: Unless you want to be attacked by at least six different lawsuits, yes, you need that disclaimer.**

**Foaly: *chuckles***

**Rosy: Oh, shut up.**

**Holly: I agree with Artemis. **

**Rosy: Don't push it, or I'll tell everyone EXACTLY what happened with you and Arty on page 138 of The Time Paradox.**

**Artemis: Don't **_**call**_** me that.**

**Holly: What's page 138?**

**Rosy: You know, that little incident in the gorilla cage?**

**Holly and Artemis: NO!**

**Foaly: *whips out recorder* **_**Do**_** tell.**

**Artemis: Eh, it's nothing.**

**Holly: Let's just get on with the story, shall we?**

**Rosy: *angelic smile* Okey dokey.**

Chapter 1

Holly walked into the study at Fowl Manor, letting her wings slide back into her Shimmer Suit. Foaly had insisted that both she and Artemis meet him immediately, here in his unofficial Ops Headquarters.

"Foaly, how long before you're below ground again? Because I'm getting tired of being told to fly over here every time one of your stupid gadgets gets a bug."

The centaur looked offended. "My 'stupid gadgets' rarely get bugs, Holly. Besides, it's not _my_ fault. Sool's been temporarily reinstated until Commander Kelp gets back from his extended assignment, and Sool is taking great pleasure in inconveniencing my work in any way possible."

"What?! Sool?" she exclaimed. "Why did they let that idiot back on the force?"

Foaly shrugged. "Politics. Apparently his family has a lot of weight with the Council, and they wanted to make up for his being disgraced by getting kicked out so…publicly. Relax, it's only a fill-in."

"Relax? Foaly, that monster wanted to destroy the entire Eighth Family! "she fumed.

Foaly shifted uncomfortably. "I know, Holly, but…we can't really do anything about it. Not right now, at least."

Holly pushed her anger aside with difficulty. "Whatever. Anyway, what's the glitch this time?"

Foaly hesitated. "Weeeell….it's a little more than a glitch."

Artemis walked in. "What is?" he asked.

"This," Foaly said simply, pointing to the plasma screen he had wasted no time in setting up.

Holly stepped closer, studying it. "Um, Foaly? I just see a bunch of letters and numbers."

He smirked. "Well, it might be a little technical for you."

Holly fingered her buzz baton. "Do NOT mess with me, Foaly. Not today."

Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"Sool," Foaly explained. "Anyway, this is a representation of the time tunnel equation. As you can see, by the time your rescue team was returning, the spell had already started to decay."

"Yes, yes. We know, Foaly. Hybras is already saved, so why is this important now?" Holly said impatiently. The news about Sool had left her in a bad mood.

Foaly was almost hesitant now. "It's…not really…about Hybras…exactly."

"Spit it out, Foaly!" Holly snapped. "I'm out of magic and need to complete the Ritual as soon as I can, so quit wasting my time."

"Okay, okay. The tunnel spell was extremely unstable, and having that many people travel through it at once weakened it even further. This made it even harder to reassemble everything correctly."

Artemis looked interested. "I wondered about that. The atoms would be much easier to move around, wouldn't they?"

Foaly nodded. "And much harder to get back where they belonged."

"ONE of you please explain what you are talking about!" Holly said.

Foaly looked a little nervous. "Some of your and Artemis' atoms got swapped in the time stream. It was only a few, hardly enough to matter, really."

Artemis was looking suspicious. "Then why are you so anxious?"

The centaur took a deep breath. "Because it will affect your aging, Artemis. You will still get older, but at a much slower rate, like a fairy."

Artemis looked surprised. "I'm part fairy now?"

Foaly shook his head. "No, you will only age like one. You are still 100% human."

Holly looked thoughtful. "But if our atoms were switched, wouldn't _I_ be aging like a human now?"

"No. These particular fairy genes are dominant over the human ones. You'll get older exactly the same way as always," Foaly assured her.

"So why am I here?" Holly asked.

Suddenly, Foaly grinned. "Because. You two know what this means, don't you? You're essentially the same age. That means you guys could go out or something. "

This was quite obviously the only reason Foaly had made Holly come along: gleeful mockery.

"Don't make me hurt you, Foaly."

**Three days later, just outside Fowl Manor, Holly's POV**

"Artemis. NO. This is a bad idea, I can feel it."

"How can this be a bad idea? I am only going to go inside for a few minutes, just long enough to set up a camera with a more powerful light."

Butler and Juliet were only going to be gone for a few hours. They had to acquire some more surveillance equipment, and normally, they would never have left the house and Artemis so unprotected, but they seemed to think that an LEP captain would provide enough protection. They didn't know I was completely out of magic, and they had also neglected to consider the fact that Artemis would almost invariably manage to get himself in a dangerous situation without any help at all.

My pointed ears tingled. I was sure this was dangerous. Artemis had detected an intruder in the manor, one who seemed to be more interested in studying the layout of the house than in stealing any of the valuable objects that filled nearly every room. The intruder had somehow managed to stay out of sight just enough to conceal his face from the camera by hiding in shadows. This coupled with the unusual objective was worrying; whoever it was was obviously a professional, not a common thief. It was a bad idea to go in there without a squad for backup. With his parents and younger brothers gone to the zoo, and with no Butler or Juliet to help if something went wrong, something COULD go wrong. Very easily.

"No, Artemis," I insisted. "This idea is stupid."

"Nonsense," he scoffed. "I don't have stupid ideas."

Idiotic, overconfident Mud Boy! He was too arrogant to listen, and that was clouding his judgment. But I knew I couldn't change his mind.

He headed for the front door. For a few minutes I was tempted to hit him, but instead I sighed and started to follow.

A few feet inside the entrance hall, I froze. Artemis had been going to place the camera in the first floor gallery, since that's what the mysterious intruder seemed to concentrate on. I heard sounds coming from that room. Voices. There wasn't supposed to be anyone here. My ears tingled again. Something was very, very wrong.

I started running. I feared the worst, and that fear gave my feet wings. My thoughts were broken, jumbled. I didn't have a coherent decision, just flashes of memory. My mother. My father. The Commander. So many lost. So many gone. Not Artemis, too. Not him. No, no, no.

I ran into the gallery, and icy terror sped through my body. A dark figure stood there, face covered, pointing a gun at Artemis. I was only a few feet away when I heard the crack. Without stopping, I did the only thing I could think of. I slammed into Artemis, knocking him clear of the bullet. I felt a moment of relief, then I saw the stranger fire a single dart. I felt a sharp pain in my leg. Then nothing. For the longest time.

**A/N: Ta-daa!! How did you like the first chapter? Sorry that it's a bit of a cliffie. And sorry for the whole time tunnel conversation, I promise it's relevant! Hopefully the Narrator to Holly POV switch wasn't confusing, it just sounded better from Holly's POV than from the Narrator's. Her thoughts weren't too cheesy, right? Please please please review! It's easy to do, they make my day, and they really encourage me to update**

**-Rosy**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authoress' Note: Here's the next chapter. Review to let me know if you like it ;) Oh, a reminder: In my story the fairies are the same height as humans. Sorry, I know it could be annoying, but I'm just too lazy to deal with it right now.**

_Artemis' thoughts are in italics and are NOT in quotes._

**Disclaimer:**

**Rosy (me): Nope, don't own it. Which is probably a good thing, as Eoin Colfer actually knows what he's doing and I'm just writing this story 'cause I felt like it.**

**Artemis: "'Cause" is not a word.**

**Rosy: So? Who asked you? Why are you even in this disclaimer?**

**Artemis: *shrugs*How should I know? You wrote it.**

**Rosy: Hmph. Enough attitude.**

**Artemis: "Hmph"?**

**Rosy: *waves copy of TTP threateningly* Ahem. Page 138?**

**Artemis: Fine. I'll be quiet.**

**Rosy: Good.**

Chapter 2

Artemis woke up with a blinding headache. Hitting your head on a solid stone floor will do that to you. He sat up, glancing around. He was lying on the sofa in the family room. Butler stood up from a chair in the corner. "Artemis, you're awake! I've sent for the doctor; he will be able to confirm that you don't have a concussion-"

Artemis cut him off. "Butler, where is Holly?"

His bodyguard frowned. "Holly? She left, didn't she?"

Artemis closed his eyes, forcing himself to remember what had just happened, making himself think around the headache. He opened his eyes. "Not exactly," he said grimly.

Butler took one look at his expression and sat back down. "Okay, Artemis. What happened?"

"We had…an intruder. They did not damage anything, but I thought it best to install cameras. Holly believed it would be better to wait until you and Juliet returned, but I convinced her-"he broke off, feeling sick with guilt. He had done it again- put his friends in danger because of one of his schemes.

Butler was watching him. "It's not your fault, Artemis."

Artemis said nothing, obviously disagreeing.

Butler decided not pursue the subject at this moment in time. "What happened after?"

Artemis spoke again, "I was in the gallery to set up the camera when I witnessed the intruder. They had no distinctive features, as they were dressed completely in dark colors, no doubt to try and minimize the risk of being identified. They appeared to be in possession of a human gun, and they were presumably about to kill me with it when Holly ran in. She pushed me out of the way, but the visitor loaded a different bullet or dart and shot her with it. That is when I lost consciousness."

Butler was quiet a moment, then said, "The first thing to do is notify the LEP, and we should probably tell Juliet as well."

"Of course," Artemis said. He stood up, headache forgotten, and began to pace. "The kidnappers undoubtedly know, or will soon find out, that Holly is not human. Obviously, we will attempt to rescue her. We may assume that she is still alive, as I doubt that whomever took her would trouble to take a…a body," he paused, trying not to consider the alternative.

"She can take care of herself, Artemis."

"Nevertheless, I shall inform Foaly immediately. He may be able to assist us." Artemis quickly walked to the study and established a connection with the Ops Booth. He waited for Foaly's face to appear on the screen. He spoke in a clipped voice, "Foaly. We have a problem aboveground."

The centaur glanced behind him. "Now? Can't it wait? This isn't really a good time-"

"No. Time is in fact of the essence. I believe that Holly has been kidnapped."

Artemis heard another person join in off-screen. "Short? What has she done now?" Ark Sool, temporary Acting Commander, pushed past Foaly to glare at Artemis, who surveyed him coolly and then continued speaking directly to Foaly. "A team would be much appreciated."

Sool butted in again. "Oh, no you don't, Fowl! I am not wasting any more officers on that irresponsible captain! We don't even know that we have a situation."

Artemis spoke through gritted teeth. "I assure you that we do. If we do not act soon-"

Sool snorted. "Who said you could give orders?"

Artemis did not take kindly to being interrupted. "If I may continue? I believe that she is being held by an enemy of my family-"

Sool looked triumphant. "Is that so? Then this is really your problem, isn't it?"

Artemis was by this point far past politely irritated. "My problem? I was under the impression that you valued the lives of your People."

The gnome's eyes narrowed. "Of course I do. But you can't deny that Captain Short has caused this department more trouble than she is worth!"

The Irish boy looked incredulous. "She is undoubtedly your best officer, yet you will not even send a team to ensure her safety?"

"There is no threat to her safety! And the entire force, including the centaur, is banned from getting involved! It's your turn to do something, Fowl!" growled Sool.

Artemis spoke calmly in spite of his growing anger. "I have proved helpful to the LEP in various ways before, even taking into consideration my earlier actions."

"Meaning the kidnap."

"Regardless, you have a duty to your officers."

"Don't talk to me about duty, Fowl! I have had enough of your constant nosing into the LEP's business! I repeat, the entire force is banned from getting involved!" Sool took a deep breath and calmed down somewhat. "Obviously, I can't stop you from helping, but I warn you: you're on your own." He glanced at a digital notepad, and said in a voice that was casual, almost careless, "Oh, and if there is the smallest chance you are right, be prepared to identify the body. I have a meeting with the Council soon and I have a lot of responsibilities right now," and he terminated the link.

_The body_, Artemis fumed.Hearing Holly described in that way made him angrier than he cared to admit. _Apparently she is not worth his precious time._

Butler entered the study. "Well? Do we have the fairies on our side?"

Artemis glanced up. "I am afraid not. The LEP's Acting Commander seems to believe that there is in fact no threat to Holly, and apparently he-and the rest of the police force- cannot be bothered to assist us if there does happen to be one."

Butler studied his young charge, whose impassive face didn't quite conceal how irritated he was. "Don't worry, Artemis. I know Juliet will want to help, and I'm sure we can handle this by ourselves."

Artemis looked thoughtful. "We could even convince Foaly to do some off-the-record technological work. He never can resist a challenge."

Butler nodded.

The genius continued: "We should also leave at least one computer online at all times- it is very possible some sort of ransom demand may be made by the kidnappers."

Another nod. "All right. I'm going to start packing some gear we might need."

"Very good. I will begin narrowing down the list of possible kidnappers."

Butler nodded again and left the study.

Two hours later, and Artemis was hardly any closer to identifying the culprit. Butler was back in the study as well, sending e-mails to some of his more "unusual" contacts in case they needed any "unusual" equipment. Artemis stood up and returned to pacing.

Butler glanced up from the computer. "Any ideas?"

"Too many. It cannot be Opal, as kidnap is not really her style, and it cannot be Jon Spiro, as he is still in jail. I have eliminated several others, but that still leaves quite a list. My family is not popular."

Just then, there was chime as an e-mail came in. Artemis looked up. The message was marked with a video clip attachment icon.

In a moment, Artemis had crossed the room to one of the computers and started to run scans. "No viruses," he said, his fingers darting over the keyboard. Suddenly, he stopped, his eyes narrowed. "They have not spiked the message. They obviously wish for us to know exactly where they are."

Butler joined him next to the screen. "It must be a trap, Artemis."

"We do not have any other options. If we do not go after her, they could easily decide that keeping Holly is not worth the trouble," Artemis said quietly. He opened the video message and waited tensely. Almost immediately, a man appeared in the shot and began speaking with a distinct Russian accent.

_Britva_, Artemis realized. He should have anticipated this. He should have known that the dangerous criminal would be sure to seek revenge for being outsmarted by a young boy. _He must have sent someone to kill me, but assumed that anyone willing to save me from a bullet would be important enough to me to fetch a large ransom, and changed his plan._ He felt again that wave of guilt. He shook his head and forced himself to focus on Britva's words.

"Hello, Fowl. You know who I am. You know what I have." The camera cut to a tiny steel room- a cell, really. A figure was lying on the floor, pointed ears in plain view, a tangle of wild red hair spread out around them. _Holly._ A guard stepped forward and slid a hypodermic needle into her arm. She jolted awake, her eyes wide, fighting to get free of his grip. More guards attempted to restrain her, but Holly kicked and fought. Britva casually walked into the room and gave a signal to one of his men, who seized Holly's arm and twisted.

Artemis heard the sickening snap of bone, and Holly stopped struggling, fury and hate blazing in her eyes.

Butler was watching both the e-mail and his charge. He noticed how Artemis' hands clenched when Holly's arm was broken and how his eyes were narrowed in disgust as he watched her kidnappers.

Britva continued speaking as though nothing had happened. "Of course, if you wish to save your lovely,_ exotic_ little friend, all you have to do is come and get her. The price is eight million U.S. dollars-cash. You know how to trace this message, I'm sure. Oh- one more thing. If you're not here by tomorrow at six o'clock p.m., I'll assume you don't want her." All four of the guards slid knives out of their pockets to be sure Artemis understood. The screen went black, and the message ended.

Artemis was glaring at the screen. "We have no time to lose. We must trace the e-mail and arrive in Russia in time to get Holly before Britva kills her."

He glanced at Butler, who was looking uneasy. "Artemis…even if we could make it in time, it is almost certain that Britva would take the money and kill both of you."

"I realize this, but we have to try. I am not going to allow any more harm to come to Holly because of my mistakes." Artemis spoke calmly, but there was an edge to his voice. "I will not allow her to die."

**A/N: I don't think I used any direct quotes from the books, but if I did I don't own those, either.**

**That's this chapter. I'm rather proud of myself for updating, so please let me know how you like it with that fabulous little review button:D**

**Until next time-**

**-Rosy**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authoress' Note: Chapter Number 3! (In case you couldn't tell.) The reason I FINALLY got it written is because this school year is finally over for me! And I felt bad for not updating in almost three weeks. I am just going to take a minute to thank all my reviewers: Holly Marie Fowl, seleenermparis, cOborski, myfriendscallmecrazy, theSunlitEarth, BlondeOnBlonde34, GrossGirl18, WarlockWacko, TexasDreamer01, VinyayaMinerva, SilhouetteSymphonies, RegaliaAL, and Golden Perception. Many, MANY thanks! Your reviews motivate me to get moving and update, and they give me a huge confidence boost :D. Also, thanks to everyone who subscribed and favorited. It really means a lot.**

**Rosy (me): Oh, and someone pointed out that Holly has a crew cut. Yeah, um, about that…I actually did remember that, but…let's call it artistic license, shall we?**

**Artemis: "Artistic license" meaning "the authoress decided she wanted to change the hairstyle for the sake of imagery and show a complete disregard for the actual books".**

**Rosy: Again with the attitude!**

**Oh, and I was going to try and post this Thursday or Friday, but I had a lot going on, sorry guys! And a big round of applause for BlondeOnBlonde 34 for looking over the chapter before I posted it!**

**Disclaimer:**

**Rosy: I still don't own the Artemis Fowl book or any of the characters.**

**Artemis: Thank God for that.**

**Rosy: *glares* What was that?**

**Artemis: Nothing…**

**Rosy: Much better.**

Chapter 3

Holly woke up for the second time, this time without a painful shot of whatever-it-was. Her arm, unfortunately, was nothing_ but_ pain.

No guards. Good. She sat up and studied her cell for anything that could help her escape. In truth, she didn't have much to work with. Solid steel. No windows. Not even a cot; she was lying on the floor. Basically, she was in a box. A very _small_ box. Holly swallowed, fighting her claustrophobia. That stupid time stream had given back her old fear. She took a few deep breaths, trying to distract herself with escape plans. She didn't have any technology to help her, not even her Shimmer Suit. She had been in street clothes in case any ordinary humans had spotted her while she was at Fowl Manor. Her arms and legs weren't bound or chained, that was good. She glanced up and saw a tiny camera blinking in the corner. Not so good. These people knew she was a fairy and probably assumed she and the rest of her species had valuable magical powers. Also not good. Britva was no doubt determined to find, exploit, and most likely annihilate her entire People. "Really not good" would be a massive understatement. But still, if they never chained her, she might have a chance.

Before she could begin seriously planning how to get out of this nightmare, the door to her cell opened. No doorknob, naturally. Britva walked in, almost strutted. He was smiling coldly. "Our little prisoner has woken up? How wonderful."

He stepped closer, of course accompanied by his guards. Britva wore nondescript clothes in bland colors. There was nothing in the least extraordinary about any of his features, except the eyes. They were cold and empty. Bleak. This was a man who would kill anyone to get what he wanted.

Holly felt weak and shivery, and the walls seemed to be spinning. There would be no escaping yet, even if she could manage to find an opportunity, so she focused all her energy on a furious glare aimed in the Russian's direction. He didn't seem to mind, his only response a small laugh that sent shivers racing down her spine.

Britva spoke again. "No need for such hostility. You won't be here long, one way or another. And giving me dirty looks will do nothing whatsoever to help you. Your friends have by now received my e-mail. No doubt they will be here soon. If not, well…" He shrugged. "Then you are of no further use to me."

Holly fought back another shudder. At least the room was staying still by now.

Britva studied her pointed ears with satisfaction. "Though I believe you are not worthless quite yet. You are in luck. You will spend the next few hours telling me exactly where I can find the rest of your fascinating species."

"I will tell you nothing, human," Holly snapped.

Britva laughed again. "Attitude. How amusing."

Holly said nothing for a minute, an expression of complete loathing on her face. Then she spoke. "No matter how long you keep me here, I will _not_ give you what you want. You're wasting your time."

Britva's good mood vanished. "Let me explain your situation. You are trapped in a cell two floors underground, hundreds of miles away from your friends. You have no way of contacting them. You have only one more day to live if the Fowl boy doesn't show. If and when he does arrive with the money, he will be captured and killed. If you try to escape before then you will die as well."

Holly's mind was racing. She was out of magic, true, but as long as she wasn't restrained or tied up, and if Artemis was put in the same cell as her, she just might be able to escape. He had to have a plan, he always did. If these humans underestimated her, they would be very sorry.

The Russian studied her. "If you continue to refuse to talk, I could just dose you with truth serum, I suppose. But where's the fun in that?"

Holly felt a trickle of dread.

Britva continued to watch her for a few moments. Then he turned to the thugs that had come in with him. "See if you can get any useful information. Use whatever force necessary."

One of them, at the very least, had a sharp dagger.

Holly closed her eyes. _Hurry, Artemis._

**Sorry this chapter is so short! I will try and make the next one longer, I promise. As usual, reviews are much loved! Even if you have reviewed other chapters. If you like it, let me know what you liked. If you don't like it, help me make it better! Next update will probably be Friday or Saturday.**

**Over and out ;]**

**-Rosy-Fingered-Dawn**


	4. Chapter 4

**Authoress' Note: Thanks to all my awesome reviewers: Holly Marie Fowl, seleenermparis, cOborski, myfriendscallmecrazy, theSunlitEarth, BlondeOnBlonde34, GrossGirl18, WarlockWacko, TexasDreamer01, VinyayaMinerva, SilhouetteSymphonies, RegaliaAL, Golden Perception, Aslosiit Abel, General Jazza, RainOrTears, hollybridgetpeppermint, and Readergirl99. And thanks to all my readers, subscribers, and favorite-ers! (Ha. I just made that word up. It's not obvious at all…)**

**I know it has been a REALLY long time since I updated, and I promised to update by Saturday at the latest, but my Internet service has been crazy lately. Sometimes it works, and then sometimes it won't let me do anything! I only had enough time to answer PMs and just barely start this chapter on Saturday (I think it was Saturday, my memory can be terrible). Then later I couldn't even get into my e-mail! So all together now: Stupid computer! Anyway. Hope you enjoy the chapter! :D**

_Artemis' thoughts are in italics._

**Disclaimer:**

**Rosy (me): Why do I even have to put this in every chapter?**

**Holly: *coughs meaningfully* Get on with it.**

**Rosy: ALL RIGHT. *grumbles* I don't own the books.**

**Artemis: And?**

**Rosy: *sighs* Fine. Or any of the characters.**

**Holly: *smugly* That's better.**

Chapter 4

Artemis sat tensely in the Fowl family Bentley, going over every part of the plan again and again, searching for any possible mistakes. They were on a very tight schedule. If something happened, there would be no time for a Plan B.

Juliet was in the passenger seat, playing with her jade ring. Since she had joined a wrestling troupe, it had become her trademark.

Butler used the rear view mirror to glance back at his charge. Artemis' eyes were closed, but the creases in his forehead made it obvious he was not sleeping.

Juliet tapped her fingers on her leg, then spoke in a low voice, "Dom. Why couldn't we just have taken a plane? Or maybe something a little…faster? If you know what I mean?"

Butler matched her volume, being careful not to interrupt Artemis' planning. "It's true that illegal is quicker, but if we got stopped or delayed…"

Juliet's eyes widened. "Oh. I didn't realize we were cutting it quite so close."

Butler shrugged. "We didn't have much time to begin with."

His sister frowned. Holly was her friend, too, after all. When she spoke again, her voice was even quieter, so that Artemis would have absolutely no chance of overhearing. "Will it work? Can we do this?"

Butler spoke with certainty. "I trust Artemis."

Juliet looked at her brother. "The part of the plan I did hear is very, very risky."

Butler sighed. "I know. But it's really our only option. We can't negotiate with Britva, he'd just think we were stalling, which would only make him kill Holly to prove his point. That's how this kind of hostage situation works."

"Are we sure that Britva is the only one we need to worry about? He could be working with someone else."

Butler nodded. "I know, that occurred to Artemis, too."

"Well?"

Butler could only shrug again. "It doesn't make much difference, really. We still have to get Holly back, regardless of who actually captured her."

Juliet bit her lip as she started fidgeting again with the jade ring. "I hope his idea works."

Artemis remained in his planning state of thinking until they reached their destination: a grassy area a ways off the road where they couldn't be seen if they had to make a quick- and somewhat less than legal- getaway.

Artemis turned to Butler, saying "I traced the e-mail to an old executive building less than half a mile away from our current position. Britva sent a second e-mail, specifying that I must be alone. Your job is to stay with the car and let me know anything that could influence the plan. I have an earpiece and speaker set for when you need to contact me. It will also be able to reach Foaly, assuming he's paying attention. Juliet will be standing by in the car in case something goes wrong. I expect to only be a few hours at most."

Artemis picked up the case containing the money and started to get out of the Bentley, but Butler stopped him. "Artemis. There's something I still don't understand. Why are they so close? Britva usually operates out of Russia. Why the switch to Ireland?"

Artemis didn't quite look Butler in the eyes. "He's greedy. He wants his money as soon as possible. Relocating to Ireland means he would get it that much sooner."

Butler noticed the lack of eye contact. "Artemis. Is that the _only_ reason?"

Artemis glanced at his bodyguard. "For the purposes of this discussion, yes, it's the only reason."

"Artemis!"

But Artemis was already out of the car and heading towards the building.

As soon as Artemis got within a hundred feet of the building, a red sensor flared into life and an alarm sounded. Clearly some sort of motion detector. A few moments later, it was cut off and all was quiet. Artemis waited. He knew this plan was a risk, that Britva almost certainly planned on killing him as soon as he had the money, but he had thought thoroughly enough to be sure that this was the only choice they could make that would not end with Holly being killed. If Britva had become as overdramatic as many other villains, then Artemis' plan had a reasonably good chance of success.

Artemis glanced at his watch. He only had a few hours left before Holly's life was put at risk, again. Artemis shook his head. _No time to think about that now._ Finally, he saw movement. A pair of guards opened the door. They were, of course, carrying large and very dangerous-looking guns. They moved quickly towards him and dragged him into the building.

Britva was waiting inside. "Ah, Master Fowl, how kind of you to join me. You brought the money, I see? But of course you did." The Mafia boss nodded to the guards, who left. Britva took the case and opened it. "Hmm. It looks real, but I'm not as gullible as I used to be. Disappearing money…I would dearly love to know how you pulled off that particular trick. I suppose you wouldn't consider sharing your secret?"

Artemis was watching him. "Afraid not."

Britva shrugged. "Oh, well. I don't really have time to watch any more torture, so I'm not going to bother trying to convince you."

Artemis felt apprehensive. _More? If Holly didn't tell them anything, Britva is more than capable of trying to 'convince' her, as well. I suppose the broken arm wasn't enough._

Britva was studying the Irish teenager. "So, little Arty. I assume you are just dying to see your friend? She's not very polite. I couldn't get her to tell me anything I wanted to know, so I had to resort to drastic measures." He sighed in mock sadness. "Such a shame."

Artemis was disgusted and angry. Even at his worst, he had never been this bad.

Britva continued."But enough talk. I am a kind person, so I will allow you to see your friend again, for one last time."

Artemis was unsurprised. _He's planning on killing me. That is as expected. He's also letting me see my friend once more before I die. Melodramatic, but true to form. Of course, Britva didn't use to be this way. Apparently being bested by a child changed his personality._

Britva led him down two floors and along a corridor. He opened the door to a small cell and pushed Artemis inside. Holly was sitting with her one arm around her knees. Her broken arm, her right, was held at an awkward angle away from her body.

As soon as Britva left, Artemis sat next to her. He spoke in Gnommish so that it would be impossible for Britva or any of his guards to understand if they were monitoring the video feed. "I can help."

She glanced up at him and replied in Gnommish, as well. "What, have you developed healing powers since the last time I saw you?"

"No, but I do have several medical degrees."

She looked suspicious. "Internet courses don't count."

"Don't be ridiculous. Just let me look at your arm."

"Fine, but if you make it worse I'm going to kill you."

Artemis ignored her, being careful not to move her arm too much while he examined it.

"Well?" she asked.

Artemis hesitated. "It's going to hurt."

She shrugged. "I've had worse."

Artemis carefully shifted the bone in her arm.

Holly bit her lip but said nothing as the two pieces of bone were lined up.

"Better?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Artemis."

Artemis shrugged. "It seems the least I can do. It obviously won't heal it, but it should help, especially when we escape."

Holly swallowed. "Good, because this cell is really small."

Artemis looked up, surprised. _Hmm. The time stream appeared to have an effect on Holly's claustrophobia._ It was unusual to see Holly scared, or even worried. He studied her. She had nasty-looking scars and scratches covering her arms, with several on her face.

Keeping his voice steady, he asked, "What happened?"

Holly made a face. "Britva's interrogations."

Artemis breathed in and out slowly. He was more than upset. More even than angry. He was absolutely furious. He closed his eyes, trying to control himself. _Why_ _did these inconvenient emotions always happen around Holly? _Artemis opened his eyes.

Holly crossed her legs. "So. What's the plan for getting out of here? I'm hoping I get to shoot someone."

Artemis shook his head to clear it. "The plan is simple. Here's what we have to do…"

**A/N: And… cut! Sorry for the semi-kinda-sorta-cliffie. As always, reviews are LOVED. And they're easy, too. Really. Just a few minutes at most to make me super happy:D Let me know any thoughts, likes, dislikes of my story. It's really appreciated!**

**Next update should be on Monday (unless my computer goes crazy again.)**

**See ya:**

**-Rosy-Fingered-Dawn**


	5. Chapter 5

**Authoress' Note: Once again, thanks to all my reviewers: ****Holly Marie Fowl, seleenermparis, cOborski, myfriendscallmecrazy, theSunlitEarth, BlondeOnBlonde34, GrossGirl18, WarlockWacko, TexasDreamer01, VinyayaMinerva, SilhouetteSymphonies, RegaliaAL, Golden Perception, Aslosiit Abel, General Jazza, RainOrTears, hollybridgetpeppermint, Readergirl99, coolbean10, and Gellia.**** You guys are AWESOME. Seriously. I'm sorry if I forgot anyone, I appreciate every single review.**

**And the reason why this update is so late is because I had a bad case of writer's block for part of the chapter. I HATE writer's block. (Don't we all?) So I'm hoping the longer-than-usual update will at least partially make up for it.**

**Random Fact of the Week: Animated baby aliens are ADORABLE. (These fantabulous words of wisdom resulted from me recently seeing part of the movie Chicken Little for the first time. I happened to notice how cute the baby alien was and decided to put it in my A/N. Who knows why. Anyway…)**

**Content: Some kinda bad words, some torture. Bleah:(**

_Artemis' thoughts are in italics._

**Disclaimer:**

**Rosy (me): Oh, not this again.**

**Holly: AHEM.**

**Rosy: Fine. I still do not own the Artemis Fowl books, characters, etc. If I **_**did,**_** I would also be in charge of the Artemis Fowl movie, in the books Holly and Artemis would have eloped by now, oh, and Minerva would have been eaten by a Blast-Ended Skrewt.**

**Everyone else: …**

**Rosy: What? Hey, wait…I'm the authoress, so that means… *snaps fingers***

***moments later, Minerva runs past while being chased by a hideous animal with shells, stingers, and suckers***

**Minerva: Eeeeeep!**

**Artemis: Well. That was out of character.**

**Rosy: *shrugs* It's **_**my**_** fanfiction. I can do what I want.**

**Holly: I still don't know what that thing was.**

**Rosy: *throws copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire at her* It's in there.**

**Holly: *flicks through book* Oh, I get it. And by the way: Artemis and I are NOT going to elope.**

**Artemis: No, we are NOT.**

**Rosy: Oh, so you're getting married after all?**

**Holly: What? No!**

**Artemis: This is by far the most awkward conversation I have ever had.**

**Holly: Well, it could've been worse.**

**Artemis: HOW?**

**Holly: *sarcastically* Oh, gee, I don't know. Maybe if you had to explain to either or both of your parents-or Butler and Juliet for that matter- why you were standing in the room while **_**one **_**mythical creature was preparing to send you and a **_**second**_** mythical creature back in time. Not to mention the fact that you and the **_**second**_** mythical creature-who also happens to be a GIRL- were both holding hands WEARING NOTHING BUT UNDERWEAR.**

**Artemis: …Good point.**

**Rosy: So are you guys getting married or eloping? Because frankly, I'm curious.**

**Holly: *facepalm***

**Rosy: Oh, and I don't own Blast-Ended Skrewts either. Thank goodness. Anyway… Time to wrap up this disclaimer. It's probably the longest and randomest one ever.**

**Artemis: "Randomest" is not a word.**

**Rosy: Whatever. Stupid genius.**

**Artemis: …You realize what you just-**

**Rosy: Shut up.**

Chapter 5

Holly sighed. "That's all I have to do?"

"Yes. It's the best plan we've got."

"_Fine,_ I'll do it. But just so you know, Artemis, I'm getting a little tired of playing the victim. Next time, YOU'RE doing it."

"Fair enough."

"So when exactly am I supposed to do this?"

"When Britva tries to…interrogate you again."

Holly winced again. "Is that likely?"

"Unfortunately."

"Wonderful. What happens after that?"

Artemis gave his trademark vampire smile. "Then we get out of here."

They didn't have long to wait before Britva returned. He studied Holly. "Up." He glanced at Artemis. "You, too."

Artemis stood, smiling coldly. "Surely you know better than to try and torture me to get information?"

Britva shrugged. "I never said I was going to torture you."

Artemis clenched his teeth. He had seen it coming, of course, and it was an important part of his plan, but delaying it had been worth a try.

Britva shoved Holly into a chair, where several guards bound her hands and feet with thick cables.

Britva crossed his arms and looked at Artemis, making his decision. Then he turned to his guards. "I think electrocution. That always works wonders with the stubborn ones."

Artemis was so angry he was finding it difficult to control his emotions. _Again. It's this ridiculous puberty._ "How many volts are you going to give her?"

Britva shrugged. "Not sure."

"If you give her too many you could kill her."

"Then I guess you'd better talk fast."

Britva's guards dragged some complicated equipment into the room. There was a tangle of wires which they attached to Holly, who was careful not to move her broken arm as they hooked up the machines. Holly looked…well… if Artemis was a normal teenager he would have described her expression as "seriously pissed off". As it was, he decided she looked angry enough to shoot Britva with the highest possible setting on her Neutrino without a second thought. Unfortunately, she hadn't had her Neutrino with her when she'd been abducted, and Holly was not happy unless she had a gun.

Britva signaled to one of the guards, then pushed Artemis in front of him into an adjoining room behind a two-way mirror. "Now we watch," the Russian said.

There was the crackle of electricity, and Holly shivered.

Britva was standing calmly. "I would guess she is some type of law enforcement? Or an agent of some kind?"

Artemis looked at him, grateful for any excuse to stop watching. "What would make you think that?"

"The government ones never scream in the beginning. Civilians do. For the first six hours, at least. Then they get too dehydrated to make a sound."

Artemis felt sick. Britva was so casual and offhand about all the terrible things he had done. He forced himself to look back at Holly, waiting for the signal. He saw that only one guard remained. Good, Britva didn't seem to expect a prisoner going through so much pain to be a threat. That would work in Artemis and Holly's favor.

Britva was watching as well, his eyes cold. "So, little Arty. Feel like talking yet? You are obviously aware of how powerful her race is. One of you is going to tell me where I can find the rest of them, and I have all day."

Artemis said nothing, continuing to watch Holly, waiting for her to signal. _All day? Not if I can help it. _There. He saw it. Just the slightest shift of her foot.

Artemis turned to Britva, careful to put just the right amount of fear and anger into his voice. "Enough. I'll tell you, but first let her go." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Holly close her eyes and go limp. Holly had had to guess at the right time to fake passing out. This fake unconsciousness was a crucial part of the plan. At least, Artemis hoped it was fake. He wasn't sure how many volts of electricity she had been shocked with.

He stared at Britva. "Release her."

Britva sighed. "I guess I have to." He walked back into the room Holly was in, Artemis being careful to follow. Britva spoke in rapid Russian to the single guard still in the room. Artemis, of course, understood every word. Britva was telling the guard to untie the prisoner but keep an eye on her. The guard cut through the cables with his knife with some difficulty. Holly was still slumped in the chair, apparently unconscious. Britva stepped outside to make a call, confident in the abilities of his hired muscle. The hired muscle in question turned away to put away his knife, leaving Holly unguarded for a moment. A moment, of course, was all she needed. She jumped up from the chair and pushed the guard against the wall. The man's head cracked against the wall, and Artemis winced.

"Don't worry, he'll just be out for an hour or so," Holly said. "He'll be okay."

Artemis studied her. "Are _you_ okay?"

Holly shivered. "I'm fine. Just a little sore and a lot ticked off." She started to leave the room, then stumbled a little. She braced her hand against the wall, then started walking again. "I'm fine," she repeated. "Come on, we have to get out of here before Britva comes back. Thank goodness criminals are so overconfident and stupid."

Artemis raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

Holly rolled her eyes. "Fine, MOST criminals. Feel better? Besides, I thought you were going legal."

Artemis shrugged and smiled. "You never know."

Holly glared at him. "I am so not in the mood for your criminal ambitions, Artemis."

"I don't think they count as ambitions if I've already achieved them." He saw her expression and added "But point taken."

By now they were waiting in the hall, being careful not to make too much noise. Holly whispered "We'll have to take the stairs. Using the elevator is too risky."

Artemis nodded.

Holly spoke again. "We'll have to move quickly, Britva could come back at any moment to interrogate you."

Artemis shook his head. "I doubt it. Like you said, he's overconfident. He believes that one guard was enough to keep track of an "unconscious" prisoner."

"I can't believe Britva didn't even check to see if I was really unconscious."

"I can. After all, you were weakened from being tortured, and he had a guard armed with at least a dagger, and most likely a gun, watching you. It never crossed his mind that you were smart enough to plan an escape."

"Still. He won't be far away."

"True. I think it is time to request help from Foaly."

Holly looked relieved. "Foaly's helping us?"

Artemis nodded. "Against orders."

Holly was startled. "Whose?"

"Acting Commander Sool's."

Holly's eyes narrowed. "D'Arvit! I should have expected this." As an afterthought, she added, "I wish I had my Neutrino." Then she brightened. She ducked back into the room and came out with the guard's gun. She saw Artemis' look. "Don't worry, tranquilizers only."

Artemis nodded. "Of course. Britva would not have wanted to risk damaging his bargaining chip."

Holly made a face. "I'm telling you, I am so fed up with being treated like a chess piece."

Artemis had the decency to look slightly guilty. Not so very long ago, he had been one of those people who treated Holly as such.

Holly shook her head, then glanced at the cameras. "Anyway, we should contact Foaly. We're barely out of range of the surveillance cameras in this spot."

Artemis agreed, boosting his comm set's signal to reach the LEP Headquarters now that they had moved back underground. He only had to wait a few moments before he heard the centaur's voice. "Problems?"

Holly took the set from Artemis, hooking it around her pointed ear and speaking into the attached microphone. "Foaly. We need you to wipe our patterns from the video feed. There are cameras everywhere."

"Holly! You're all right! Thank goodness."

"I'm fine, Foaly. So can you do it?"

Foaly sounded offended. "Of course I can do it. Have a little faith, Holly."

Holly grinned even though the centaur couldn't see her. "Thanks, Foaly." She waited a minute, hearing the sounds of clicking keys. "Are we clear?"

"Yep. Good luck."

"Thanks again, Foaly. I owe you another carton of carrots."

Foaly snorted. "Several, I think. See you back underground, and be careful."

"I will. Bye."

Holly handed the communication set back to Artemis. "Okay, we've been wiped from the camera feeds. We're invisible."

Artemis nodded. "There will probably be more guards patrolling each floor."

Holly smiled. "That's what the tranquilizer gun is for."

Holly and Artemis walked down the hallway, heading towards the stairway they could see at the end. Holly was watching for any signs of traps, but finding none. When she mentioned it to Artemis, he only said "Obviously none of his other captives ever made it this far."

At the very end of the corridor, they saw a pair of guards patrolling near the stairwell. Holly trained the stolen gun on them, her eyes narrowed. "Freeze. If you move, I'll shoot you."

Artemis spared a moment to be fervently grateful he and his elfin companion were no longer enemies. Holly could be extremely intimidating, especially when she was carrying a dangerous looking gun.

The guards had their guns strapped to their backs, meaning they wouldn't have enough time to even draw them before Holly shot the pair of them. Holly snorted to herself. Amateurs.

The guards were at least smart enough to realize they were outmatched. Holly moved forward, keeping her gun pointed at them. She saw a supply closet to the left of the stairs. Holly jerked her head at it. "Artemis, grab some duct tape." He did. Being careful not to lower her gun, Holly taped the guards' mouths shut and then bound them with more of the tape. She pushed them both into the closet and shut the door. "Don't worry, they'll get found eventually. I wouldn't have shot them unless absolutely necessary, anyway."

Artemis looked at her. "Speaking of which, your gun was loaded with tranquilizers, not bullets."

Holly shrugged. "I know that." Then she smiled. "But _they_ didn't."

Holly and Artemis climbed the stairs, but not before having Foaly remotely seal off the doorways. Holly nodded in satisfaction. "That should buy us some time. If we're lucky, Britva won't even be able to leave this floor before we're long gone."

By the time they reached the ground floor, they had incapacitated six more guards. Holly shook her head. Duct tape was an incredible invention. You had to give the Mud People credit for that one.

After Holly disarmed the last few guards, Artemis glanced at her. "I think you're enjoying this escape too much."

Holly shook her head again. "No, I'm not." She flashed a dazzling smile. "I don't respond well to captivity."

Artemis smiled. "I remember."

Then, as Holly was crossing the floor in the last hallway before the exit, she stumbled again. Artemis caught her arm, frowning. This was the second time Holly had lost her balance in less than one hour; that was extremely rare. Artemis thought of something. "Holly, what have they given you since you came here?"

Holly thought. "Um. Just the tranquilizer and the thing to wake me up. No food or water, just those chemicals."

Artemis closed his eyes. _Chemicals. Of course._ He should have anticipated this. He opened his eyes and spoke into the comm set. "Foaly. What is the tolerance of mixed tranquilizer chemicals for an adult elf?"

A crackle of static, then: "Not much. Their immune systems are almost never exposed to them, so they don't have much of a resistance. Why?"

"Because I believe Holly has a dangerously high dose of them in her bloodstream."

The centaur's reply was almost immediate. "Impossible. Holly's been exposed to tranquilizer chemicals before, and nothing like this has happened."

"Maybe not, but she hadn't been exposed to a high enough amount to neutralize a troll," he said tightly. "Not to mention the fact that I highly doubt the chemicals they gave her were legal."

Foaly sounded nervous. "What else? Besides the tranquilizers?"

"I am not entirely sure, but it is quite possible the shot they gave her to wake her up is composed of adrenaline and other elements that could be disastrous in a fairy's system."

"Oh, no."

"Exactly. This could make it very difficult to escape if we are stopped by more guards, even considering their obvious incompetence."

"Artemis…I don't think you entirely understand. This isn't just bad, it's lethal."

Artemis forced his voice to remain calm. "Explain."

"If Holly has that many different chemicals in her, there's nothing we can do. Fairies-especially elves- are not prepared to deal with that many foreign elements in their bodies."

Artemis glanced at Holly. She was sitting on the floor, her head resting against the wall. Her cheeks were flushed, the rest of her normally golden-brown skin as white as bleached bone. _Don't think like that. _Her eyes were closed; she looked exhausted. _There's still a chance._

"How much time does she have left, Foaly?" he snapped.

Foaly ran a few calculations, then spoke, sounding helpless. "I'm sorry, Artemis. There's nothing you can do. If she was dosed earlier today, she has a few hours. Maybe less."

**Another cliffie! I'm sorry, please don't kill me. *cowers*I can't seem to end a chapter without one. Not sure when the next update will be, but definitely sooner than the last one.**

**Oh: the idea of "playing dead" to escape is also in the book Maximum Ride: School's Out-Forever, by James Patterson. I am almost sure that's not where I got my inspiration from, but I mentioned it to someone as a hint to what Artemis' plan is, so I'm citing it just in case, 'cause I don't own that series either.**

**About the yucky torture parts: I HATED writing those parts, but I needed to use them for the plot, so I wrote them. Please don't use it to judge my personality; I just put them in for the plot, no other reason. I got the six hours before dehydration fact from the book I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter. (Not as creepy as it sounds. It's a romance/humor book about spies.)**

**As always, reviews are loved, even if you've already reviewed other chapters. Pretty please, with lovely rainbow sprinkles on top, review:D**

**Buh-bye for now:**

**-Rosy-Fingered-Dawn**


	6. Chapter 6

**Authoress' Note: Next chapter coming up. But first: Thanks to all my reviewers! ****Holly Marie Fowl, seleenermparis, cOborski, myfriendscallmecrazy, theSunlitEarth, BlondeOnBlonde34, GrossGirl18, WarlockWacko, TexasDreamer01, VinyayaMinerva, SilhouetteSymphonies, RegaliaAL, Golden Perception, Aslosiit Abel, General Jazza, RainOrTears, hollybridgetpeppermint, Readergirl99, coolbean10, Gellia, Wait Wait dont tell me, , Call me Mad, and fletch. Thank you so much for reviewing! And just to make sure everyone knows, I am now allowing anonymous reviews, so now none of the readers have an excuse;)**

**Special thank-you to for pointing out the weight thing, which I didn't even notice. I just so HAPPEN to mention it in this chapter. Convenient, no?**** Anyway, thanks for pointing it out:D Hopefully this chapter clears things up a little.**

**And thanks to Phoenix Fanatic for explaining how to make those little liney things! (Don't laugh. I learned something today, okay?)**

_Characters' thoughts are italicized and not in quotes._

**Disclaimer:**

**Rosy (me): *petting a niffler***

**Holly: Uh… Shouldn't you be doing something? Like maybe, I don't know, the disclaimer?**

**Rosy: *shrugs* You guys can handle it. *to niffler, in a baby voice:* Who's a cute little niffler? Who's so adorable and cuddly?**

**Artemis: Um…**

**Holly: What IS that thing, anyway?**

**Rosy: It's a niffler.**

**Artemis: Which is…?**

**Rosy: It's from the Harry Potter books. Duh.**

**Artemis: I am not familiar with "pop culture".**

**Holly: *musing* If I ever heard you make a pop culture reference, I would probably die of shock.**

**Artemis: *glares* I don't think that's possible.**

**Holly: But if it WAS…**

**Rosy: Hmmm. Good point.**

**Artemis: Argh! Is the entire world against me?**

**Rosy: Of course not, silly. The niffler likes you.**

**Artemis: *mutters angrily* People like you are the reason I became a criminal mastermind.**

**Rosy: *innocently* I feel wounded. Besides, you became a criminal mastermind so you could get rich again.**

**Artemis: Stop being so irritating.**

**Rosy: Or what?**

**Artemis: Or I get Butler to shoot you.**

**Rosy: *pats Artemis on head* Oh, I know you don't mean it.**

**Artemis: *mutters* Don't I?**

**Rosy: Besides, I was just kidding. You know I like you. And Holly likes you. In fact, I would say she lo-**

**Holly: Shut up.**

**Rosy: Someone's in denial.**

**Holly, to Artemis: I see what you mean about her being irritating.**

**Rosy: What were we talking about? I forget.**

**Holly: Well, you STILL haven't done the disclaimer.**

**Rosy: Well, what are you waiting for?**

**Holly: Hey, don't look at me. It's YOUR story, after all.**

**Rosy: I'm busy.**

**Holly: Doing WHAT?**

**Rosy: Petting the niffler, of course!**

**Holly: This disclaimer is getting so off-topic.**

**Artemis: Maybe we **_**should**_** do the disclaimer.**

**Holly: At least we could get it over with.**

**Artemis: Exactly.**

**Holly: So anyway, she doesn't own the books, or us, or any of the other people in the books.**

**Artemis: And she doesn't own whatever creature she is irritating.**

**Rosy: Hey! He likes being petted. And he's a NIFFLER.**

**Holly: Yeah, that.**

**Rosy: And now! Time for the next chapter to begin!**

**Artemis: Oh, dear God.**

Chapter 6

Artemis closed his eyes, thinking. Then he opened them and spoke into the comm set. "Foaly, how far away from here is Tara?"

There was a moment of shocked silence, then Foaly found his voice. "Artemis, you know we can't tell you-"

"Foaly," Artemis interrupted. "We are running out of time."

"Artemis, you don't understand. The last human who saw Tara was years ago. We would need to run this past the Council, get a signed approval-"

"Holly has hours left to live. I am not concerned with legalities."

"I already explained this! There is nothing you can do to help her. I'm as sorry as you are, but it's the truth."

Artemis took a deep breath, calming himself. The sooner he explained, the sooner they could save Holly. He spoke quickly. "Tara is the most magical place in the world, correct?" He continued without waiting for a response. "So if Holly were to perform the Ritual there, it is possible that her magic, combined with the site's, could completely heal her."

Foaly considered. "It might work. But there's one problem, Mud Boy. Holly doesn't have an acorn."

"That will not be a problem. I made sure that Butler brought one in a sealed container, in case of emergencies. I picked it at the last full moon." A thought occurred to him. "Will it still work if it was picked by a human?"

Foaly sounded dubious. "It should." Then the centaur remembered something. "Besides, you have some fairy DNA now, so maybe the magic will count you as a fairy."

Artemis was slightly stunned. What with everything that had happened, he had barely given that development a second thought.

"Of course. Now, if you please, I need the location of Tara."

Foaly sighed. "Fine, but if I'm fired I'm blaming you."

"Yes, yes," said Artemis impatiently. "The location, please?"

Foaly told him and Artemis mentally calculated. "Very well. I believe we can make it if we use LEP wings."

Foaly pulled up a list on one of his computers. "Okay. I'm in the middle of restocking all our fairy forts, so there are some wings and supplies in one only a few miles west of you guys."

"I'll have Butler or Juliet pick them up." Artemis switched channels. "Butler. There's been a…complication."

A sigh crackled through the earpiece. "This seems to be becoming a habit, Artemis. But what can I do?"

"I need for you or Juliet to go to this location." He gave the coordinates for the fairy fort. "Bring two LEP helmets and two sets of wings."

"You got it."

Artemis switched off the microphone and walked back over to Holly. Her eyes were open now, watching him. "What was that about?" she asked.

"Nothing to worry about," he lied smoothly. "A simple change of plans." He helped her to her feet.

Holly crossed her arms and glared at him. "I'm not stupid, Artemis. Something's wrong. Why do I feel sick?"

Artemis was reluctant, but he finally said, "You had a bad reaction to the chemicals you were given. It is not a problem." He started to turn away, but she grabbed his arm.

"There's more to it than that." She studied his expression, her eyes widening. "Wait. Is it…fatal?"

He said nothing.

"Artemis, if I'm dying, I deserve to know!"

Finally, he looked her in the eyes. "We're taking you to Tara. You will soon be perfectly healthy."

Holly looked at him for a long time. Finally she turned around to hide her expression, touching her broken arm. "Good, because I'm getting tired of doing everything left-handed." Holly headed for the doors, adding, "Let's get out of here."

* * *

Butler turned off his microphone and glanced at Juliet. "Artemis needs one of us to pick up some equipment while the other stays behind in case Britva plans to make it difficult for us to leave."

"I'll go get the gear," Juliet said immediately. "In case" was not good enough. She felt antsy, she had to be _doing_ something, something to help. There it was again. Her personality. What had kept her from earning her blue diamond tattoo. She shook herself. She was losing focus again. "How much time do I have?"

Butler switched his comm set back on and spoke into the microphone. He listened and then turned back to Juliet. "A few minutes, tops."

Juliet nodded, getting out of the passenger side and into the driver's seat as Butler stepped out of the car.

Butler hesitated, then kept talking. "And, Juliet? This is Holly's only chance. So…feel free to break a few speed limits."

Juliet grinned and revved the engine. "What are speed limits?"

* * *

As soon as Juliet drove away, Butler settled down to wait. After only a minute or so he saw Holly and Artemis leave the building. Butler glanced at the doors and windows, listening for alarms. He heard none, but he still said, "Britva is likely preparing his guards. We should still have enough time if Juliet doesn't get back late."

Holly nodded and took the comm set from Artemis, who raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me. I would like to know what is going on."

Holly rolled her eyes. "I _told_ you that you're a control freak."

Artemis started to retort, but Holly ignored him. She listened to Foaly for a few seconds, then rolled her eyes again. "He's telling me about his fancy technology that made it possible to carry six thousand dollars around in a suitcase."

Butler looked at her. "So that you understand, or-?"

Holly shrugged. "Actually, he's just trying to get me to care."

Butler almost smiled. Like the rest of them, he was accustomed to Foaly's playing the "under-appreciated genius". Holly sighed as she listened to the centaur. "He's still talking. Apparently it's how he deals with stress." She turned and walked away.

Artemis made sure she was well out of earshot before saying, "How long does puberty last?"

This time Butler really did smile. "Having trouble with romantic feelings in the middle of a rescue mission, Artemis?"

Artemis scowled. "Of course not."

"Besides, I assume that was a rhetorical question, as you've probably written a book on that very topic."

Artemis rubbed his forehead. "If I am aging like a fairy now, that could very well affect it. I doubt there is a textbook on the subject."

Butler shrugged. "I guess a few more years, then?"

Artemis groaned. He glanced over at Holly. She had her back against a tree, her red hair vivid beside the dark wood. Artemis looked away. Things were complicated enough. A few more years of this? …_Damn hormones.

* * *

_

**Chapter number 6 done! Please let me know what you like/didn't like in a review! Next update should be in a few days. This one was SUPPOSED to be Monday or Tuesday, but my computer had other ideas. Gr. I was in the middle of typing it up when my computer stopped working AGAIN. But I think it's fixed. Finally. Anyway… (Wait, I need a new way to say good-bye…Umm…Oh! I got it!)**

**Peace out;)**

**-Rosy-Fingered-Dawn**


	7. Chapter 7

**Authoress' Note: First off, I am SO VERY SORRY for the long wait! School has started again, and I am about to die of either boredom, or overwork, or both. Probably both. But anyway. I apologize, and really truly hope you will enjoy the chapter! And thanks so much to Wait wait don't tell me for looking over this chapter! :]**

**Comment of the week: Hug me, I'm half-Italian.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Rosy(me): Wazzup, peeps?**

**Artemis: *groans* They are not your "peeps".**

**Rosy: But **_**you**_** are.**

**Artemis: I am no such thing.**

**Rosy: Homie?**

**Artemis: Absolutely not.**

**Rosy: Homeboy?**

**Artemis: Do I look like a homeboy?**

**Rosy: Well, you DID dress up like a gangster when you broke into that bank…**

**Artemis: *looks evasive* What bank?**

**Rosy: Lies. All lies.**

**Artemis: You have no proof.**

**Rosy: But I DO have a demand.**

**Artemis: *pales* A demand? Please no samurai swords. Please.**

**Rosy: *huffily* That was one time. ONE TIME. And Minerva lived. I didn't even scratch her.**

**Artemis: No, but you **_**did**_** almost decapitate her.**

**Rosy: Good times…**

**Artemis: *shakes head* Only for you.**

**Rosy: Anyway. I'm not doing the disclaimer until you give me a hug.**

**Artemis: Excuse me?**

**Rosy: Well, I **_**am**_** half-Italian.**

**Artemis: And this matters because...?**

**Rosy: *waves hand dismissively* It was on a T-shirt. But that's beside the point. I will not do the disclaimer until you hug me!**

**Artemis: Do I have to?**

**Rosy: *smugly* Yes.**

**Artemis: *contemplates violence, gives up, hugs Rosy very quickly***

**Rosy: *stumbles around in a dreamy haze of happiness***

**Artemis: There. Now can you get on with it?**

**Rosy: *giggles absently***

**Artemis: Errr… is there a doctor in the house?**

**Rosy: *continues to wander around with a goofy smile on her face***

**Artemis: *shakes head* Forget it. There are some things you just can't help.**

**Rosy: *shakes head back and forth in an effort to recover any possible shreds of common sense* Ehh… where was I?**

**Artemis: *sighs* The disclaimer?**

**Rosy: *dizzily* Oh. Right. That. Um…I don't own the books. Or the characters. But I DO have a hug from Arty!**

**Artemis: *facepalm***

**Rosy: For Artemis:*blows kiss* For readers: I give you…Chapter 7!**

Chapter 7

Several tense minutes later, the Fowl Bentley screeched to a halt and Juliet hopped out of the driver's seat. She tossed a set of wings and a pair of helmets to Butler, who caught them easily. Artemis glanced at the supplies and cleared his throat.

"Juliet. There is only one set of wings."

The girl spread her fingers. "Sorry, Artemis. This is all there was."

Artemis quickly discarded his earpiece and slipped on one of the helmets. They were a good size for a teenage human, and they operated on a more secure frequency than the comm sets. The last thing they needed at this point was the human police getting involved.

"Foaly," he said, his voice clipped and irritable. "We do not have sufficient equipment to carry out the plan."

A screen shimmered, and an image of the LEP's technical consultant appeared in the helmet."Sorry, Mud Boy. That's all we got. Surely two pairs of wings is enough?"

Artemis sighed impatiently. "They would be, if we had them. It appears one of your Recon officers "liberated" the second pair of wings."

"Hey, how am I supposed to keep track of every single piece of equipment is sent into the field?" The centaur looked wounded. A bruised ego was a serious matter, after all.

Artemis clenched his hands. When he spoke again, his voice was level. Careful. Controlled. And, of course, fooling absolutely no one. "Foaly, this is not a joke. We need _two_ pairs of wings. Someone must fly along with Holly in case of…emergencies. It is non-negotiable."

"Okay, Artemis. I'll see what I can do." Foaly bent over one of his many keyboards, muttering to himself. "Um…all right…Let's see…Oh."

"_What?"_ Artemis snapped.

"Well…it seems that there are no more available units close enough to be of any use. I'm sorry, Artemis."

Artemis shook his head. "There must be another option. I refuse to fail because some incompetent Retrieval officer swiped a pair of wings."

Foaly tapped his desk, looking thoughtful. Suddenly, he grinned. Artemis studied the look uneasily. This was not a cheerful grin. This was one of those "I-can-help-you-but-it-will-make-you-wish-you'd-never-been-born" grins.

He leaned closer to the screen, still smiling. Artemis briefly reflected that Butler, dangerous though he undoubtedly was, could not seem to protect him from the seemingly endless moments of humiliation that tended to pop up with alarming frequency during these desperate missions to save lives, humanity, the planet, etc.

Out of the corner of his eye, Artemis saw Holly pick up the other helmet and slide it over her pointed ears. She had evidently spotted the problem. The Irish teenager nearly groaned. Foaly had an audience.

"I know _exactly_ how you two are going to get to Tara."

Artemis closed his eyes. That irritating headache was coming back. "Foaly, please."

Foaly shrugged. "It's simple, really. I'm surprised a genius such as yourself hasn't thought of it yet…"

Foaly could see that Holly's eyes were narrowed. "Spit it out, pony boy."

The centaur looked smug. "You guys will just have to share the wings. You know…hold on tight."

It was their only alternative, but…Holly flushed inside her helmet, grateful that no one could see her. Besides the aforementioned smug centaur, of course.

Artemis said nothing, although a certain word in Gnommish did come to mind.

Foaly leaned back in his custom-made office chair. "Go ahead, you two. You have _all_ night."

Holly furiously cut the connection and yanked her helmet off.

Holly stormed off to grab the single wing set, swearing under her breath.

Butler glanced up. "Please. Not another crisis."

"Just Foaly being inappropriate," Holly said irritably.

Butler smiled and continued packing his gear in the car, careful not to let Holly see his expression.

Artemis ran a hand through his hair. Foaly's inappropriate comments aside, they really didn't have all night to reach Tara. Only a few hours, to be more precise. Then time would be up.

[line break]

"All right. Time to go," Butler said as he tossed the last item into the car.

Holly was avoiding looking at Artemis. This wasn't as bad as undressing to go back in time, but it was certainly bad enough.

"The flight shouldn't take too long," she mumbled.

Artemis nodded. They both stood awkwardly, reminded once again of what had happened in the past. _Everything_ that had happened in the past.

Holly pulled on her helmet again and started to strap on the wings, but Artemis stopped her.

"What?" she asked impatiently. "Artemis, in case this fact eluded you, the clock is ticking."

Artemis bit his lip. "You shouldn't be the one controlling the wings."

Her eyes widened incredulously. "Ex_cuse_ me? I am the best pilot Recon has for any aircraft you care to name."

"Obviously. But not when your blood is full of chemicals and you have the use of only one arm."

The elf glared at him. Artemis said nothing, only waited.

Holly experienced a violent internal struggle for several moments, then snapped "Fine," and shoved the Hummingbirds at Artemis. Best friends could be so very irritating.

Artemis secured the straps and checked the electronic readouts. The wings were functioning properly in all areas. They were legally, technically supposed to carry only one person, but one teenage human and a slender elf should be no trouble.

"We'll meet you at Tara," Butler said as he climbed into the driver's seat of the Bentley and Juliet jumped into the back. "Have fun," she smirked.

Holly was swearing quietly again. "Does no one understand how serious field missions are anymore?" she fumed.

Artemis shrugged. "That's Juliet for you."

Holly attempted to ignore her humiliation, anxiety, and fear. Her tactics, she decided, needed a little work. She supposed there was no use in putting it off, so she stepped up behind Artemis and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"You _do_ know how to fly these, right?"

"Eh… in theory."

Fabulous, thought Holly. Just fabulous.

[line break]

Artemis did actually know how to pilot the wings. The ride was smooth apart from a few minor jerks. The first half hour or so was fine. The second brought headaches and blurry vision. By the end of the third, Holly had stopped keeping time to focus instead on not relaxing her grip. She could hardly see by this point.

"Artemis," she muttered. "My vision's gone all funny."

Artemis swallowed. The lethal combination of chemicals was weakening her faster than he had predicted. "Don't worry. We're almost there. A few more minutes at most."

Exactly four and a half minutes later, Artemis landed. Tara... At any other time, he would have been fascinated to discover the location. Now, he barely gave it a thought as Holly stepped back, her eyes on the sky.

"No full moon," she said quietly. "This might not work."

Artemis shook his head. "It will work. Normally that would limit your power, but Tara is the most magical site in the world, as you very well know."

Holly stumbled again. "I hear bells..." she said dizzily.

If her ears were ringing, their time was almost up. Artemis moved quickly, pulling the acorn out of the airtight container he had carefully locked it in. He handed it to Holly.

She stepped away from the magnificent oak tree and bent down, digging a small hole and dropping the seed in, covering it with the soft soil.

Artemis stood to the side, holding his breath. Waiting and hoping and not daring to wish.

[line break]

Several frantic heartbeats later, sparks glittered. They snaked their way up Holly's arm, mending the bone, and sank into her skin, counteracting the deadly chemicals in her body.

Artemis watched, still not daring to breathe. Holly was unconscious; her body had evidently shut down to heal more quickly. Finally, she stirred and blinked. She stood up and Artemis finally released his breath.

Holly turned on the spot, surveying the site. "Good. No damage."

"I'm surprised. It was quite a large healing."

Holly shrugged. "There's usually only damage when the healing involves attaching something."

Artemis spoke hesitantly. Afraid of the answer. "Are you…all right?"

His friend smiled. "Yes. I'm fine. And…thanks."

Artemis cleared his throat. "Don't mention it. It was nothing." Obviously, spending time with the fairies had not completely cured him of his social awkwardness.

"So what do we do now? Just wait for Butler and Juliet to take us home?"

Artemis shrugged. "I suppose." He pulled off his borrowed helmet and dropped it to the ground.

Holly took a few steps, then froze. "Artemis…?"

He turned. "Yes?"

"Look."

He followed her gaze. The sky was an odd color, the moon cast with an orange tinge.

Holly put her hand to her forehead.

A crackle of static emanated from Artemis' discarded helmet. The microphone and speaker were face up, so Foaly was able to use the helmet's voice chat functions.

"What's happening, Artemis?" the centaur asked urgently. "Holly's vitals just went haywire."

Holly sank to the ground, her breathing uneven. "Lunar eclipse," she gasped.

**And there you have it:] If you have a question about the ending, don't worry, all will be explained in the next chapter.**

**Speaking of explaining…you can blame my friend and me for the random names in the disclaimer. She came over to my house and we started randomly saying words that we found funny. Don't judge. Weird people have more fun:D**

**And now, you all know what comes next! Please, please review? I need them to cheer me up from the RIDICULOUS amount of homework I'm suffering through :(**

**Ciao, buon amici!**

**-Rosy-Fingered-Dawn**


	8. Chapter 8

**I am SO sorry for not updating sooner; I got so busy you wouldn't believe. But that's no excuse. I am going to TRY to update much more frequently. We'll see how that goes, haha. ;)**

**And I know it is way past, but Merry Christmas! If you don't celebrate Christmas, then Happy Holidays!**

**And before I forget: Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!**

**Disclaimer:**

**Rosy: I still don't own the books. Big surprise.**

**Artemis: You know, I'm starting to wish we didn't have to do these.**

**Rosy: Whatever for?**

**Artemis: I inevitably end up humiliated.**

**Rosy: Wimp.**

**Artemis: I am NOT.**

**Rosy: Whatever.**

**Artemis: *grumbles***

**Rosy: Get over yourself.**

**Artemis: *ignores last comment* Where's Holly?**

**Rosy: I think she's chasing Minerva with a can of bug spray.**

**Artemis: …**

**Rosy: What? Pests are pests.**

Chapter 8

There was a noticeable intake of breath from the centaur.

Artemis almost groaned. For the love of God, how many more complications could they possibly have? "An eclipse. Why is that significant?"

Foaly, despite the circumstances, slipped happily into lecture mode. "Well, you already know how closely related fairies, especially elves and demons, and the moon are. For this reason, they are particularly susceptible to any drastic disturbance. A lunar eclipse, for example. Underground, it doesn't affect them much. A little lethargy, an unusually short temper, no big deal. But aboveground, it renders them basically helpless. No energy, and no magic. The _really _bad news is that each total lunar eclipse can last more than an hour. There shouldn't be any negative effects, though. You guys were just unlucky."

Artemis was unconvinced. "You're saying this is a coincidence? That we just happened to walk right into the first eclipse in Ireland for who knows how long?"

Foaly sounded sulky. "Not everything is a conspiracy, you know."

Artemis rubbed his forehead. _Since when?_

* * *

Artemis focused on the moon. By his calculations, they still had at least another sixty-two minutes to wait. And the wings didn't work during an eclipse. Something about it disturbed the solar batteries. Nuclear power wasn't an option, either, because there had evidently been more budget cuts and the LEP was unable to afford the newest nuclear batteries, with a charge that could take you all over the world before running out, for every single wing set.

Holly was resting with her back against a tree, her forehead pressed against her knees. They would need a miracle to get out of here in under an hour.

Artemis checked his watch. Fifty-eight minutes to go. He wasn't quite sure why he was so tense. Butler would have called it "gut feeling." Artemis preferred the term "informed instinct".

Fifty-six minutes.

Maybe this _was_ just a coincidence. They did happen occasionally. Not to him, but still. There was a first time for everything.

Fifty-three minutes.

Why was time going so _slowly_? If he didn't know better, he would have sworn his watch was broken.

Fifty-one minutes.

Artemis gave up. This could not possibly be a coincidence, but he would figure it out later. In the meantime, they were sitting ducks out here, and would be for almost an hour more. He forced himself not to glance at his watch again.

Suddenly, there was movement in the shadowy trees. Artemis stood, carefully. He glanced at Holly. Her eyes were also fixed on the forest. A shape moved again, pushing through the clinging foliage of the surround forest.

"D'Arvit," Holly breathed. "Not _again_."

A thin man stepped forward, his hair dyed all the garish colors of the rainbow. He was almost spitting with rage. "I found you, demon. But you're going to wish I hadn't. I wish Eric was here to see this."

He paced in a circle, mumbling. "Eric. They _killed_ him. He told me they would, but I didn't believe him. I didn't believe him, but now it doesn't matter. Everything will be all right." He pulled a gun from a holster strapped to his leg.

"Eric's going to forgive me now." Kong's eyes were wide, fevered. "He will."

Holly was scared. Embarrassed to admit it, but scared. How did you reason with a man who had _lost_ his reason?

Artemis was analyzing the situation. Checking for options. Not many, really. It came down to two choices: 1) Get killed by Kong, or 2) Do something about it. He glanced at Holly, but she shook her head. Very well. Any plan he attempted could not include her; she had evidently not regained her strength. He checked his watch. They still had more than half an hour before the eclipse was over. Maybe he could keep Kong talking, just until Foaly managed to send help. Surely, he had realized something was wrong. Otherwise… Artemis shook his head vigorously. Never mind that. He had to believe someone was coming to help, or risk losing all control of his thought facilities.

Artemis took a deep breath. He really wished Butler were here. "Mr. Kong. There is help on the way as we speak." (Hopefully.) "Your only choice is to give up." (Not exactly.) "Resistance would not help." (He better not resist, or they were all in trouble. Why was it so easy for insane people to get guns?)

Kong stopped muttering to himself. He caught sight of Artemis, and his face turned red, then white with anger. "You!" he cried. "You helped the demon escape!" He leveled the gun at Artemis this time.

Artemis swallowed. Getting shot would probably not help the situation. "I don't understand how you found Hol- the demon again."

"The stupid Paradizo girl left a copy of her notes in the safe. Not the one in the office, the one in the grounds."

Artemis considered. Of course. It would make sense for Minerva to have another copy somewhere safe outside. It was what he would have done. He refocused on the conversation. Kong was talking again.

"Then all I had to do was break into the safe and get the notes. Easy. It had everything I needed to know about demons and the moon."

Clearly, Minerva had done more research since the incident with N°1.

Holly glared up at the stubbornly empty sky. How much longer?

"But how did you know the demon would escape the warehouse in time?" What he really meant was, There is no way Billy Kong came up with this whole plan by himself.

Kong shrugged. "Lucky."

Artemis was unconvinced. In all probability, Kong and Britva were partners. Kong told anyone who would listen all about Eric; all Britva had to do was promise revenge, and Kong would help with anything the Russian boss asked him to do. No questions asked. The only question was how Kong had managed to get out of prison so quickly.

Holly was examining the sky again. Surely, time was almost up. She could just see the edge of the moon.

Kong had noticed, too. "Enough talking! The demon dies, or both of you do." It was obvious which one he thought Artemis would choose. The idea that someone might not _want_ safety at the cost of their friend's life had never occurred to him. Billy Kong didn't have many friends. It just made it easier for people to manipulate you. Plus, as a general rule, most of them didn't appreciate having kitchen knives thrust between their ribs.

Artemis stepped toward Kong, blocking his direct shot to Holly. He was desperate now; it was obvious that no one was coming. It was getting hard for him to think. The man cocked the gun.

One last chance. Artemis stepped closer. "Drop the gun."

Kong glanced up. This kid was scary, he thought. Eyes like ice. And now he was staring at him, almost like he was trying…to hypnotize him…

The boy didn't blink. "Now sleep."

The gun was getting so heavy; just a second wouldn't hurt…No. He had to remember what he was doing. This was his chance to avenge his brother.

Artemis was exhausted. It was not enough; he did not have enough magic for this. The last spark left from the time tunnel would not be enough.

Kong's arm was shaking with the effort of fighting the mesmer.

This was it. He would die, Holly too. All his fault.

He heard a click, as if from a distance. A gun being loaded. He wondered vaguely who would be shot first. Not that it mattered, in the end. At least he had tried to protect Holly. A chivalrous criminal. He almost smiled. Laughing in the face of death. Funny, he had always thought that was an exaggeration.

The moon was now almost completely visible. Just a few more minutes, Holly thought, and we would have made it. Fate did indeed have a cruel sense of humor. At least she would die on the surface.

Another shape moved in the trees. Holly felt like shouting at the mystery visitor to leave them alone, but she was still too tired. That was all they needed, some nearby Mud Man wandering past and seeing the whole thing. Artemis, one of the few friendly (well, most of the time,) humans, killed and the whole fairy nation exposed, and all because of a _damn lunar eclipse_.

She wasn't scared anymore; she was _pissed_. She threw the first thing that came to hand, which happened to be a rock, straight at Kong. Her aim wasn't up to what it normally was, so it didn't hit him, but hewas temporarily distracted. Distracted enough for the small figure behind him to knock him over and _mesmer_ize him. "Go to sleep," he said sternly.

Kong obliged.

The stumpy figure stood up. "Hi, everybody!" he said cheerily. "Do you guys need a rescue?"

**A/N: Hmmm, who could that be? Haha :]**

**And I have no idea if there really was a lunar eclipse at this time, but I did do some research on the duration of lunar eclipses, so that part should at least be accurate.**

**Review, please! Let me know how I am doing. Your reviews encourage me more than you know! I read every one, and they really do make my day! :]**

**-Rosy-Fingered-Dawn**


	9. Chapter 9

**Authoress' Note: I really don't have a reason for just disappearing for so long. I got busy, but still. I am so, so sorry! And if you are still with me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!**

Disclaimer:  
Rosy: Meh. Whatever. I don't own the books or characters.  
Artemis (shocked): What? That's it? No humiliation? No hyperactivity? No…anything?  
Rosy: Well, if you insist.  
Artemis: Why. Why do I do this to myself?  
Rosy: Mwahaha. Because Arty insisted, I feel obliged to make this disclaimer more entertaining.  
Artemis: Don't call me Arty.  
Rosy: What's that? I can't hear you. I'm too busy doing my disclaimer!  
Artemis: But you already disclaimed! What are you still talking for?  
Rosy: *points at giant rhinoceros chasing Minerva into a plothole* That.  
Artemis: *facepalm*  
Rosy: Enjoy the last chapter!

Artemis let out the breath he had been holding. "Yes, No 1, I think that would be nice right about now."

"Okay." The little demon walked over to Holly and placed his hand on her arm. "First I am going to give her a special dose of my magic. Young demon warlocks have enough power to be almost immune to lunar eclipses," he informed Artemis.

"That's lovely, No 1, but we are on a little bit of a tight schedule, if you don't mind."

"Right! Sorry. Still getting used to this whole rescue thing. It's tiring! I don't know how you guys do it. Well, I guess the lasers help, but-"

"No 1," Holly said through clenched teeth. "I'm happy to see you, but we really should be leaving."

"Okay, you're all good to go!" he said, beaming and standing up.

Holly stood, too, checking for any remaining damage. "Everything seems okay," she said. "Thanks, No 1." She grinned and gave him a hug. "We still don't have transport, though."

"Well, I brought these. Could we use them?" The little warlock picked up the bundle he had dropped, pulling out two sets of wings. "I thought it would be a good idea, seeing as how you two never seem to have anything helpful with you."

"That is absolutely not true," Holly retorted.

No 1 looked at her. Artemis looked at her.

"Oh, shut up, both of you," she huffed, strapping on a pair of wings. "Put these on, they're a better model than the other," she said, tossing the second set to Artemis.

"What do we do about him?" Artemis asked, gesturing toward Kong as he cinched the straps with difficulty around his arms and torso.

Holly bent down, checking out his vitals. "Still out cold." She stood up, dusting off her knees and sliding the helmet back on. She instantly felt more in control, more confident. "Foaly, are you finally ready to do something useful?"

"I've been useful," the centaur pouted. "It's not my fault you seem to pick the only situations where absolutely no one can help you."

"Moving on, Foaly. I'm guessing we're gonna need a full memory wipe team here. Maybe some special equipment, too."

Foaly considered sulking for a while longer, but decided against it. Someone had to be the bigger fairy.  
[line break]

Several hours later, Holly was sitting in Fowl Manor with her eyes fixed on a dozen computer monitors. She turned to one of the screens. "Foaly, what's the update?"

Some keyboard noises, then: "Looks like the memory wipe team got there okay. Kong won't be running any more fairy operations, you can be sure of that."

"Do we know how he got out of prison?"

"Probably one of Britva's thugs. Inside job, that kind of thing."

"What about Britva? We can't just let him go."

"Wiped," Foaly assured her. "Very, very carefully. He's under the impression that he's a Russian philanthropist whose only goal in life is to help orphans."

"Nice touch, Foaly. Are we sure he's out for good this time?"

"_Yes_, I'm sure. Have I ever been wro-"

Holly gave his pixels a dirty look.

"Eh, anyway. Yes, I'm sure."

Artemis and Butler joined Holly, with Juliet running in quickly behind. "Well, do we know what this was all about?"

Holly turned. "Looks like Britva was trying to get back at your whole family, Artemis."

The boy winced. "How was Kong involved?"

Holly shrugged. "Along for the ride, as far as we can tell. Kong was still half-crazy from the stunt we pulled on him. He just wanted to catch a demon. He probably told Britva just enough to make him think the kidnapping would make them both rich."

Butler frowned. "What about Britva's hired muscle? We don't want them walking around with memories of fairy kidnappings in their heads."

Foaly spoke up. "Won't be an issue. Looks like "the boss" didn't bother telling them anything. All the guards who had even a glimpse of what was going on have been wiped," he finished smugly. "_And_ I've wiped all traces of fairies from Miss Paradizo's records. I made sure this time."

"So…it's really over? Everything's fixed?" Holly sounded doubtful.

"How many times do I have to say it?" grumbled Foaly. "Everything is fine."

"Not quite," Juliet said, scowling. "Someone still needs to take care of Sool."

Artemis sat up. "Ah, that won't be a problem."

Everyone looked at him. The teenager smirked slightly. "I already took the liberty of ending his career. A few video recordings, a few phone calls to the right people—or fairies, as the case may be. I don't think you need to worry about Sool coming back to the LEP."

Holly grinned. "Thanks, Mud Boy."

"I could still visit him, just to make sure it really sank in," Butler offered.

Holly shook her head. "Minimum violence, big guy. Even if it's Sool and he deserves it."

There were a few seconds of silence as everyone let the whole incident finally sink in.

Finally, Butler stood up. "Well, someone has to explain to Artemis' parents, again."

Juliet sat next to Holly. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"I'm fine. No lasting effects whatsoever. Besides, it's not like this is our first life-threatening adventure." Both laughed. Juliet hesitated, then stood up. "I should go help Dom think of a story for what happened."

"Foaly, there _aren't_ going to be any lasting effects, right?" Holly asked, as Juliet left.

"No, you're completely healthy. Artemis, on the other hand, will have to have his DNA monitored until we can figure out exactly what this whole genetics thing means."

Holly had almost completely forgotten about the conversation they'd had. It seemed like forever ago. Artemis had too, apparently. "Will _I_ be all right?"

The centaur waved a hand dismissively. "You'll be fine. It's just a formality, really. I have to finish the paperwork on this whole thing. Holly, I'd tell you to take a few days off, but I know you won't listen to me."

"Nope," she said.

Foaly sighed, but laughed as he switched off the screen.

There was a minute or two of uncomfortable silence as Holly and Artemis realized they were alone in the room. This wouldn't have been such an issue a couple years ago, but now it just made everything more complicated.

"Listen, Artemis. For what you did-"

"It was nothing," he said awkwardly.

"No, it wasn't. I just wanted to say…thanks."

"You're welcome," he muttered, glancing up. He still wasn't used to looking at his own eye.

Then Holly reached up and kissed his cheek. Well, she meant to kiss his cheek. She really did. But he moved at the last second, so she ended up…kissing his mouth.

Artemis was so surprised that he didn't move for several seconds.

Holly's face was red. Artemis was pretty sure his was, too.

"I didn't mean-" Holly started. Suddenly they heard a crackling from one of the screens.

"Yes!" Foaly crowed, punching the air. "I just won the office pool!"

**A/N: Well, it's finally done! The first fanfic I've actually finished! I'm hoping the ending isn't TOO lame? Please, please review! You guys are the best, by the way, for sticking with me even when I didn't really deserve it! Next I will be finishing my HP fic, and possibly posting some Les Misèrables? Let me know your thoughts! Questions, comments, concerns are all welcome!**

-Rosy


End file.
